The thought of a three-foot python on the loose in Lakeshore may seem scary to some people, but the missing reptile is really the one in danger.
“It does not have good odds at all, especially this time of year,” said Karen Cedar, naturalist at the Ojibway Nature Centre. “Most pythons, in the 80s is a nice comfortable temperature for them. We’re not even close to that. What happens to reptiles when they’re out of their climate comfort zone is they’re more prone to getting sick. So it’s likely if he’s not found quickly he’ll get an infection and die from that, if he doesn’t just outright die from exposure.”
Essex County OPP have issued a press release asking people to keep an eye out for a three-foot pet python that escaped from captivity. Unlike Windsor, Lakeshore does not have a bylaw banning the possession of exotic pets.
Police said the owner was moving his snake around 4:30 p.m. Sunday on 1st Avenue near Broadway Street when it somehow slithered away. Despite an extensive search, he couldn’t track it down.
Police said the snake is not venomous and it is not known to be aggressive toward people. Cedar also said it’s unlikely to be dangerous to anyone.
She said the only creature really at risk is the python, a species of snake found in the warm climates of Africa, Asia and Australia. Snakes are ectothermic, she said, which means their body temperature is determined by their surroundings.
“There’s nothing they can do to warm up,” she said. “We’re endothermic, so our heat comes from inside our bodies. If we make our muscles work harder, we generate heat. Jog on the spot, that warms you up. Reptiles and amphibians don’t have that option. They’re totally dependent on their environment to provide heat for their survival.”
Unlike pythons, Cedar said snakes native to this area go into hibernation to beat the cold.
“They have everything they need to find a spot underground and just let their bodies slowly shut down and then they just sleep for the winter,” she said. “But pythons don’t have that mechanism. That’s not how they’re designed.”
If it’s still alive, Cedar said it will likely look for a warm spot in garages or cars, for example.
“It couldn’t have gone too far because it only had whatever heat it had at that moment in its body to carry it along,” said Cedar. “Looking for it in warm spots would be the way I would go.”
If you see the snake, call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
twilhelm@windsorstar.com
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